Sam Pittman explains why he is in favor of mandatory injury reports in the SEC

Per reporting earlier this week, the Southeastern Conference is looking to add the component of a mandatory injury report as early as this fall.

Arkansas’ Sam Pittman has now given his take on that possible outcome during a press conference on Thursday. For him, he’s in favor of it since it’ll have some finality to it upon the release. It’ll keep him from having to further explain himself after he makes any of that information known.

“Well, I think, you know, some of it is guys, you guys – if a kid is out, okay, and you just say he’s out? For me, if I say he’s out and that’s it, then sometimes – and y’all get frustrated with it because you want to know why he’s out. Sometimes I don’t want to tell you why he’s out and you understand what I’m saying,” Pittman explained. “Sometimes it’s disciplinary reasons, sometimes it’s a death in the family, you know what I mean? Sometimes he’s injured, you know what I mean?”

“There’s sometimes even some guys in legality why we can’t talk about why we’re not playing a kid, you know, and it just makes it, to me, a lot more cut and dry, a lot easier on me to not worry about getting sued or something too,” added Pittman.

This is a stance that Pittman has maintained throughout news and reports of this incoming.

The SEC would be doing this a season after the Big Ten became the first conference in the Power Five to begin releasing injury reports after doing so last season.

Pittman has no problem potentially putting this into practice around the league. That’s due to the decisiveness of it as there’ll be little questioning the report once it’s out.

“To me, I’m for it because out is just out and then you go from there,” said Pittman. “I think the NFL does it that way so. I’m for it and I think it will help.”

“You can’t say, ‘Well, I don’t know. I don’t know’. I mean, if he’s out, he’s out and you’ve got to say it, you know,” Pittman said. “I’m all for it.”

Pittman reveals multiple Arkansas injuries following scrimmage

Arkansas may have held their first scrimmage of fall camp but it was a game that Sam Pittman held several players out of.

“I was anticipating this,” Pittman said. “Pat Kutas has got a back. So, we’re resting it. We’ve rested it for a few days. We feel like we’ll get him back. I’m not positive. It may be another week, it may be another week and a half but we feel good we’re going to get him back.”

Beyond that, it ultimately ended up being a long line of players dealing with some kind of injury.

“Khafre Brown? We held him today. That was us. He has had some knee surgeries and things. We’ve been holding him some in practice as well. So, that was a knee deal. Luke Brown is gonna have to have a trim on his cartilage that he had worked on before. So, that’ll be – that was two days ago. Jon Hill, Anton Juncaj, and Marquise Robinson are out with concussions and they’ve all been out different times. Depending on when they get back, I think Anton was the first one so I anticipate him being back this coming week. Marquise would be the next one. Then Luke’s was just recent and Jon Hill’s was just recent.”

“Rashod Dubinion didn’t play because of a knee, swelling on his knee. Ja’Quinden Jackson has a mild ankle sprain. Tyrone Broden? We didn’t play him today from turf toe. I would imagine he’ll be – some of these guys will be back tomorrow but we just held him today. Dylan Hasz has a back and he’ll probably be back tomorrow as well. Jaheim Singletary has a hamstring and Vito (Calvaruso) has got a pulled groin muscle and, obviously, we know he’s a kicker so we held him…Did I miss (Andrew) Armstrong? Armstrong’s got a slight hamstring too,” Pittman said.

“The longest one that I think is going to be out is Luke Brown because he’s going to have to be out a couple of weeks. But the rest of these guys will be back.”

This list of players being held out, though, was much more precautionary.

“I think if we forced half of that group to play today, I think they could have…I think they could have played if we pushed them…But we didn’t play anybody toda. We’re trying to get better today and we felt like as a staff that it would be better to hold these kids and get them back healthy because we still have another scrimmage and some other live reps going on,” Pittman said. “So we decided to do that.”